INTRODUCTION TO
COMSOL Multiphysics
I n t r o d u c t i o n   t o   C O M S O L   M u l t i p h y s i c s
© 1998–2017 COMSOL
Protected by patents listed on www.comsol.com/patents, and U.S. Patents 7,519,518; 7,596,474; 7,623,991; 8,457,932; 
8,954,302; 9,098,106; 9,146,652; 9,323,503; 9,372,673; and 9,454,625. Patents pending.
This Documentation and the Programs described herein are furnished under the COMSOL Software License 
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Version: COMSOL 5.3a
C o n t a c t   I n f o r m a t i o n
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Part number: CM010004
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
COMSOL Desktop® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
Example 1: Structural Analysis of a Wrench. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
Model Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
Materials  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
Global Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  37
Physics and Boundary Conditions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  39
Mesh  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  42
Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43
Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
Convergence Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  47
Example 2: The Busbar — A Multiphysics Model . . . . . . . . . .  54
Model Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  56
Global Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
Auto Completion and Find for Parameters and Variables  .  60
Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  62
Materials  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  65
Physics and Boundary Conditions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  70
Mesh  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  77
Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  79
Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  79
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Building an Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  87
Advanced Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  98
Parameters, Functions, Variables, and Couplings . . . . . . . . .  98
Material Properties and Material Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  102
Adding Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  104
Adding Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  106
Parametric Sweeps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  128
Parallel Computing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  140
COMSOL Multiphysics Client-Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  143
Appendix A — Building a Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  146
Appendix B — Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . .  162
Appendix C — Language Elements and Reserved Names .  166
Appendix D — File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  180
Appendix E — Connecting with LiveLink™ Add-Ons . . . . .  187
4 | 
Introduction
Read this book if you are new to COMSOL Multiphysics®. It provides an 
overview of the COMSOL® environment with examples that show you how to use 
the COMSOL Desktop® user interface and the Model Builder. It also provides a 
quick introduction to creating applications using the Application Builder.
If you have not yet installed the software, install it now according to the 
instructions at www.comsol.com/product-download.
In addition to this book, an extensive documentation set is available after 
installation. Tutorials can be found throughout the COMSOL website, including 
in the Video Gallery at www.comsol.com/videos and on the COMSOL Blog at 
www.comsol.com/blogs.
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COMSOL Desktop®
QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR — Use these 
buttons for access to functionality such as file 
open/save, undo/redo, copy/paste, and delete.
RIBBON — The ribbon tabs have buttons 
and drop-down lists for controlling all 
steps of the modeling process.
APPLICATION BUILDER — 
Click this button to switch to 
the Application Builder and 
start building an application 
MODEL BUILDER 
TOOLBAR
MODEL TREE — The model tree 
gives an overview of the model and all 
of the functionality and operations 
needed for building and solving a 
model as well as processing the results.
6 | 
MODEL BUILDER — The 
Model Builder window with its 
model tree and the associated 
toolbar buttons gives you an 
overview of the model. The 
modeling process can be 
controlled from 
context-sensitive menus 
SETTINGS WINDOW — Click 
any node in the model tree to 
see its associated Settings 
window displayed next to the 
Model Builder.
GRAPHICS WINDOW TOOLBAR
GRAPHICS WINDOW — The Graphics window presents
interactive graphics for the Geometry, Mesh, and Results 
nodes. Operations include rotating, panning, zooming, and 
selecting. 
INFORMATION W1NDOWS — The Information windows will display vital 
model information during the simulation, such as the solution time, solution 
progress, mesh statistics, solver logs, and, when available, results tables.
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The screenshot on the previous pages is what you will see when you first start 
modeling in COMSOL Multiphysics using the Model Builder. The COMSOL 
Desktop® user interface provides a complete and integrated environment for 
physics modeling and simulation as well as application design, providing you with 
the tools necessary to build a user-friendly interface for your models. You can 
customize the desktop to your own needs. The windows can be resized, moved, 
docked, and detached. Any changes you make to the layout will be saved when 
you close the session and available again the next time you open COMSOL 
Multiphysics. As you build your model, additional windows and widgets will be 
added. (See page 24 for an example of a more developed desktop.) Among the 
available windows and user interface components are the following:
Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar gives access to functionality such as Open, Save, Undo, 
Redo, Copy, Paste, and Delete. You can customize its content from the Customize 
Quick Access Toolbar list (the downward-facing arrow to the right of the toolbar).
Ribbon
The ribbon at the top of the desktop gives access to commands used to complete 
most modeling tasks. The ribbon is only available in the Windows® version of the 
COMSOL Desktop environment and is replaced by menus and toolbars in the 
OS X and Linux® versions. Click the Application Builder button to switch from the 
Model Builder to the Application Builder and start building an application based 
on your model.
Settings Window
This is the main window for entering all of the specifications of the model, 
including the dimensions of the geometry, properties of the materials, boundary 
conditions and initial conditions, and any other information that the solver will 
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